Rotary road broom



May 16, 1939. E. F. HlLLlARD ROTARY ROAD BROOM Filed Sept. 50, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l INYENTOR EEHLUia/f'd BY Q NQ n

ATTORNEY May 16, 1939. E, F. HILLIARD 2,158,967

' ROTARY ROAD BRooM Filed Sept. 50, 1936 2 Shee'cs-Sheel 2 INVENTOR BY .Q slxL v ATTORNEY Patented May 16, 1939 Applicationl Septemberl 3 v1 Claim.

This invention relates;generallyl to :highway maintenance equipment Vand in particular `is directed to a machine of that type whichis known as arotary road broom. y' f During the operation of a rotary road broom, vthere are great quantities of dust which continually envelop the machine. For thisreason, those machines which are provided with a separate engine to drive the rotary brush are not satisfactory 10 as the dust enters the working parts of the engine and soon causes excessive wear, carburetion troubles andthe like. Protective devices, such as air and oil lters, are of no avail against the excessive and continuous dust to which the engine is subjected.

It is therefore my principal object to provide a rotary road broom, which does not employ a `separate engine to rotate the broom, but which yderives the broom-actuating power from the revolving wheels of the machine; the machine being drawn by a separate vehicle in the same manner as a trailer. n

Another object of my invention is to provide a clutch disposed in the driving mechanism intermediate the wheels and the broom whereby the broom may be disconnected and remain inoperative when the machine is being transported from place to place and is not in use.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a top plan of the machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine with the rotary broom shown in raised position.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the machine comprises an arch-like frame including a front forwardly sloping frame member I and a rear pair of spaced rearwardly sloping frame members 2; the frame members I and 2 being secured together by top horizontal rearwardly diverging frame members 3.

An axle 4 is pivotally mounted on thelower end of frame member I, and is supported at each end by a wheel 5. A draw bar 6, of any suitable form is secured to the axle. The lower ends of spaced frame members 2 are fixed on the housing 1 of LTI Sacramento, Calif.

o, 193s, summa-*103.250

axle 8 o n thefends of which ,wheels @Sir are mounted.'

. A transverse frame bar IIl'is supported by longitudinal arms .I I and I2 and vertical arms I3 yand I4 between the front and rear wheels; said bar being' some distance rabove ythe ground rand disposed at an acute angle to 'the normall forward direction of travelof the machine'. The arms II and I2 are secured at their rear ends on the housing 1 while the vertical arms I3 and I4 are secured at their upper ends on the corresponding horizontal frame members 3.

A yoke comprising a shaft I5 extending along and turnably mounted on bar IIJ, and having forwardly projecting arms I5a at its ends, is provided with a radial arm I6 to which is secured a rod I 1 leading to a manual control lever I8 pivoted adjacent the rear of the vehicle. An equalizing or balancing spring I9 is secured between another radial arm 20 on the yoke shaft and the arm I2. This spring is adjustable in the manner shown.

A rotary brush 2 I, of usual cylindrical form, and provided with a central shaft S, is journaled as at 22, on the arms of the yoke and is adapted to be raised or lowered as the yoke is moved about its pivots. This rotary brush is driven in the following manner:

The rear axle 8 is provided with a bevel gear 23 which meshes with another like gear 24 which is xed on the shaft on one side of a clutch unit 25. This clutch unit is of common construction and includes a manual control lever 26. The clutch unit as well as gears 23 and 24 are suitably encased; the forward end of the clutch unit being supported on a cross frame 2l extending between arms II and I2'.

A sprocket 28 is xed in connection with the other or forward end of the clutch unit. An endless drive chain 29 extends between sprocket 28 and another sprocket 3l), of less diameter. which is secured to a stub shaft journaled, at 3l, on cross frame 21 adjacent its junction with arm II. On the opposite side of the journal 3I, a bevel gear 32 is secured to the shaft and is in mesh with a bevel gear 33 journaled on the yoke shaft I5. Gears 32 and 33 are disposed in a housing H, the gear 33 being formed with a sleeve or hub 34 which extends from the housing and is connected to a sprocket 35. The sprocket 35 drives a sprocket 36, xed on the broom shaft S, by means of endless chain 3l.

A water supply tank 38 is supported on frame members 3 and is connected to a valved sprinkler pipe 39 disposed above but in longitudinal alinement with the axis of the rotary broom.

In use, the machine functions as follows: 'Ihe rotary broom is lowered to a road engaging position by means of lever I8 and clutch unit 25 placed in engagement. The machine is then drawn forward by the separate vehicle to which it is attached by draw bar 6. As the rear wheels of the machine revolve, the rotary motion of axle 8 is imparted through bevel gears 23 and 24 to the clutch unit from which sprocket 28 drives chain 2'9 and sprocket 30. With rotation of sprocket 3D, bevel gears 32 and 33 are actu' ated causing sprocket 35 to rotate and driving the sprocket 36 and rotary broom through the medium of chain 3T. movement of the machine, the rotary brush is effectively driven from the rear Wheels.

When not in use and it is being transported from place to place, the rotary brush is raised clear of the ground by means of lever I8 which swings the yoke arms |5a upwardly, and clutch unit 25 disconnected.

From the foregoing description it' will be readily seen that ,Ihave' produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as delined by the appended claim.

Thus, with the forwardv Having thus described my invention, what l' claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A highway maintenance implement comprising an arch type main frame including a pair f transversely spaced, downwardly extending frame members at its rear end, means supportn ing the frame at its forward end, a pair of rear wheels each being disposed adjacent but ontwardly of one of said frame members, an axle connecting the wheels, a housing surfe-vn the axle and including a box disposed cent of its ends, a power take-off element on the axle in said box, means rigidly mounting the frame members at their lower ends on the axle housing, a horizontal sub-frame disposed beneath the main frame and extending orwevrdlg from the axle housing, said sub-frame including av pair of arms spaced apart transversely a distance less than the frame members, rigidlyy ysecuring said arms at their rear ends on the housing inwardly of said frame members and equi-distant therefrom, means supporting thearms ahead of the housing from the main frame, a cylindrical rotary brush extending un der and transversely of the main frame ahead of the sub-frame, means rotatably mounting the brush at its ends in connection with the sub frame, and drive mechanism between said element and the brush and supported by the subn frame and housing.

EDWARD F. HIL-HARD. 

